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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com